The recent Decision Model and Notation (DMN) establishes business decisions as first-class citizens of executable business processes. This research note has two objectives: first, to describe DMN's technical and theoretical foundations; second, to identify research directions for investigating DMN's potential benefits on a technological, individual and organizational level. To this end, we integrate perspectives from management science, cognitive theory and information systems research.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder commonly presenting with perceptual and cognitive dysfunction. Whereas previous work in PD suggests that abnormal basal ganglia activity has profound effects on integrated functioning of widespread cortical networks, the relation of specific network functions to the perceptual and cognitive impairments is still poorly understood. Here, I present a series of fMRI investigations of network-level functioning in non-demented individuals with PD with the aim of elucidating these associations. Study 1 examined the neural correlates of optic flow processing in 23 individuals with PD and 17 age-matched control participants (MC). An optic flow network comprising visual motion areas V6, V3A, MT+ and visuo-vestibular areas PIVC and CSv is known to be important for parsing egomotion depth cues in humans. The hypothesis was that individuals with PD would show less activation in these regions than MC when processing optic flow. While MC participants showed robust activation in this network, PD participants showed diminished activity within MT+ and CSv. Diminished CSv activity also correlated with greater disease severity. Study 2 investigated intrinsic network organization in PD with a focus on the functional coupling among three neurocognitive networks: the default-mode network (DMN), the salience network (SN), and the central executive network (CEN). Twenty-four individuals with PD and 20 MC participants were scanned at rest. The hypothesis was that PD participants would demonstrate dysfunctional SN coupling with the DMN and CEN. Relative to MC, in PD the CEN was less positively coupled with the SN and less anti-correlated with the DMN. Study 3 investigated the association between functional coupling and cognition in the same group that participated in Study 2. As hypothesized, anti-correlated functional coupling between the SN and DMN was related to successful performance on tests of executive function, psychomotor speed, and memory retrieval in MC but not in PD, suggesting that dysfunction within these networks could underlie early cognitive deficits in PD. Together, the results from the three studies suggest that dysfunctional activity in cortical networks important for visual motion processing and neurocognitive efficiency may underlie aspects of perceptual and cognitive impairment in PD. / 2017-12-06T00:00:00Z

The aim of this systematic review is to present the current literature on the therapeutic potential of the classic psychedelic compound psilocybin for depressive disorders and the neurocognitive mechanisms involved recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the electronic databases Web of Science, Scopus and Medline EBSCO using a Boolean search string containing the keywords psilocybin, depression, fMRI, MRI and PET. Our inclusion criteria require original neuroimaging research articles published in scientific peer-reviewed journals involving participants diagnosed with depression receiving psilocybin in conjunction with psychological support. Five articles were identified including a total of 104 participants with depression and 75 who received treatment, resulting in significant reduction of depressive symptoms associated with observable changes in neural activity. Specifically reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) in amygdala, decreased brain modularity along with functional changes in default mode network (DMN), executive network (EN), salience network (SN), decrease in functional connectivity (FC) between ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) to amygdala and increased amygdala reactivity to fearful faces. Limitations of our systematic review include a currently limited amount of articles published and thus lack of control groups in most studies. The current evidence indicates that the therapeutic potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy may provide fast acting and efficient amelioration of depressive symptoms and the effects may be mediated by neurocognitive changes acute and post-treatment. The preliminary results warrants further research in order to optimize treatment and establish safety and efficacy long term.

No description available.

Après avoir défini l’Architecture d’Entreprise, en tant que discipline, son contexte de transformation, puis ses principaux cadres et méthodes (la méthode Praxeme surtout), cette thèse décrit les besoins en modélisation, notamment pour représenter les processus métier et les prises de décision opérationnelles.Après un état de l’art des langages et notations existants pour la modélisation des processus métier, des prises de décisions et des règles métier, tant dans le monde académique quand dans le monde industriel, les langages et notations standards sont présentés en détail. Cette thèse démontre les limites des langages et notations pour modéliser les processus métier à représenter les prises de décisions opérationnelles.Puis, elle évalue le nouveau langage DMN (Decision Model and Notation), proposée par l’OMG (Object Management Group) et sujet de recherche principal de cette thèse, afin de vérifier qu’elle constitue une solution alternative mieux adaptée, en appliquant le principe de séparation des préoccupations.Le modèle DMN obtenu est composé d’un diagramme et de tables de décision. Les expérimentations avec un démonstrateur, mises en oeuvre dans cette thèse, montrent qu’il est possible d’automatiser les prises de décisions opérationnelles ainsi modélisées. Plusieurs solutions techniques seront détaillées puis comparées, à la lumière de la MDA (Model Driven Architecture).Enfin, plusieurs perspectives intéressantes de l’utilisation de DMN sont développées dans la conclusion. / After defining the Enterprise Architecture, as a discipline, its context of transformation, and then its main frameworks and methods (the Praxeme method above all), this thesis describes the modeling needs, notably to represent the business processes and the operational decisions.After a state of the art of existing languages and notations for the modeling of business processes, decision-making and business rules, both in the academic world and in the industrial world, the standard languages and notations are presented in detail.This thesis demonstrates the limitations of the languages for modeling business processes to represent operational decision-making.It then evaluates the new DMN language (Decision Model and Notation), proposed by the OMG (Object Management Group) and the main research subject of this thesis, in order to verify that it is a better adapted alternative solution, applying the separation of concerns principle.The resulting DMN model is composed of a diagram and decision tables. The experiments with a demonstrator, implemented in this thesis, show that it is possible to automate the operational decision-making and modeled. Several technical solutions will be detailed and compared in light of the MDA (Model Driven Architecture).Finally, several interesting perspectives of the DMN use are developed into the conclusion.

Caruthers argues that the mindreading capacity and the introspective capacity are in fact one and the same capacity. This single capacity relies on the same sub-personal "interpretive" mechanism that takes sensory information as input and produces attitudes as output. I use neuroscience research to show that if the “interpretive mechanism” exists, and moreover that it operates in accordance to Caruthers’ description in mindreading tasks, (e.g. detecting external cues and paying attention to others’ behavior), then this operation would have to be handled or implemented at the neural level by the Task Oriented Neural Network. On the other hand, it is well known that self-referential thought, including introspective thought is handled by the Default Mode Network. This consequence is problematic for the view that self and other attitude attributions are done by the same mechanism. The same cognitive operation can not be implemented by two distinct neural networks that are in competition with one another. Moreover, the Default Mode neural network and the Task Oriented networks implement such different types of thinking that they oppose and interrupt one another’s functioning. If the only difference between the two networks were that one simply handles a larger quantity of information than the other, then they wouldn’t be in competition. It appears that there is indeed something special about the very nature of self-referential information such that it determines the type of operations involved in its processing. / text

This literature review examines the default mode network (DMN) and how its role in self related processing and narrative selfhood relates to well-being. The essay explores the DMN in three levels of activity: Firstly in normal function, where mind-wandering is positively correlated with dissatisfaction; Secondly its abnormal function in depression, characterized by excessive activity and rumination; Thirdly in its arguably improved function during mindfulness and meditation, where lower activity is associated with higher well-being, decreased mind-wandering and altered sense of self. The essay shows a relationship between the DMN and well-being, where higher activity correlates with lower well-being.

The use of biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been fundamental for early diagnosis. Currently, biomarkers in use for clinical purposes assess the presence or quantify molecular markers of the disease, i.e., ß-amyloid or Tau protein, or quantify the medial-temporal atrophy caused by the disease. Neuroimaging techniques such as structural, functional and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and positron-emission tomography have been essential in showing how Alzheimer’s disease pathology spreads within resting-state networks, ultimately impairing their functioning. However, neuroimaging techniques provide indirect measures that do not capture the physiological status of the affected cerebral tissues. Neurophysiological techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG), are established techniques that can be used in combination to capture both the status of a target cortex and its connections through the brain through TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs). Therefore, TEPs have gained momentum as a possible novel AD biomarker. In the last decade, a specific five-phase framework for the development of novel AD biomarkers has been developed, with the goal of standardizing the steps needed to bring a measure from research to clinical practice. Phase 1 for TEPs, concerning the rationale of using them as a biomarker in AD, could be considered completed, while most of the research is now focusing on phase 2. In this phase, the ability of a measure to distinguish between healthy elderly individuals and AD patients is assessed, together with the reliability and replicability of the measure. In this thesis, we address several aims of phase 2 by testing whether early TEP responses could be used to differentiate between healthy elderly, prodromal, late-onset, and early-onset AD. Then, we test the sensitivity of TEPs to different preprocessing pipelines to assess their robustness. Third, we review the current literature on TEP reliability and describe which tests are missing for this measure to enter clinical practice. Finally, we propose a tool to promote replicability in noninvasive brain stimulation paradigms, such as TMS–EEG. We conclude that despite a solid rationale for the employment of TEPs in clinical practice, several methodological issues need to be addressed before TEPs can gain clinical utility.

Le trouble déficit de l’attention avec ou sans hyperactivité (TDAH) est une maladie neurodéveloppementale de l’enfant et de l’adulte caractérisée par un déficit attentionnel, une impulsivité et une hyperactivité. La physiopathologie de cette maladie demeure non élucidée, néanmoins des stratégies thérapeutiques médicamenteuses s’avèrent efficaces. En France, le médicament utilisé dans le traitement du TDAH est le méthylphénydate (MPH) qui est un psychostimulant, et deux autres molécules paraissent prometteuses : le dymésilate de lisdexamfétamine (LDX - psychostimulant) et la guanfacine (GFC - non psychostimulant). Les cibles moléculaires de ces médicaments sont bien connues mais l’impact de ces traitement en aigu et chronique sur le fonctionnement cérébral est pour l’instant peu documenté. L’objectif de cette thèse a été d’étudier (i) la physiopathologie du TDAH et (ii) les effets de ces traitements du TDAH en aigu et en chronique sur un versant préclinique et à l’aide de l’imagerie microTEP couplée au 2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-d-glucose (18FDG). Dans la première étude, des modèles animaux du TDAH ont été utilisés : des rats SHR/NCrl présentanttroubles de l’attention, hyperactivité et impulsivité et des rats WKY/NCrl présentant uniquement des troubles de l’attention. Une imagerie microTEP au 18FDG sur animal éveillé a été réalisée sur ces animaux adultes afin d’obtenir leurs profils d’activité cérébrale. Notre hypothèse était que les rats SHR/NCrl et WKY/NCrl présenteraient des modifications de capture de 18FDG similaires qui seraient impliquées dans le trouble attentionnel commun aux deux souches, alors que les rats SHR/NCrl présenteraient aussi des modifications non retrouvés chez les WKY/NCrl qui joueraient un rôle dans la genèse de l’hyperactivité-impulsivité. Cettehypothèse a été confirmée par nos résultats montrant des dysfonctions fronto-striatales limbiques et du réseau du mode par défaut chez les rats SHR/NCrl et WKY/NCrl, ainsi que des dysfonctions fronto-striatales associatives spécifiques aux rats SHR/NCrl.Dans la seconde étude, un traitement journalier au MPH, au LDX ou à la GFC a été mis en place chez des rats témoins de l’adolescence à l’âge adulte (mimant un traitement de l’enfance à la fin de l’adolescence chez l’homme). Les effets de ces traitements sur l’activité cérébrale ont été évalués après la première et la dernière injection par imagerie microTEP au 18FDG sur animal éveillé. Nos résultats montrent que chaque médicament a un effet important sur les régions limbiques, et que le LDX présente une action supplémentaire sur des régions associatives et sur les régions du réseau du mode par défaut. A notre connaissance, ce sont les premières données de neuroimagerie en préclinique qui mettent en avant l’implication des régions limbiques liées à la motivation et du réseau du mode par défaut dans la physiopathologie du TDAH. Nos résultats renforcent l’hypothèse selon laquelle les médicaments du TDAH agiraient sur les troubles primaires du TDAH et non en compensant un déficit d’attention par une augmentation de la motivation. Ces résultats suggèrent aussi que (i) la GFC est un non psychostimulant qui présente deseffets similaires au médicament de référence le MPH, et que (ii) le LDX montre un profil d’action intéressant car touchant à la fois les régions limbiques, associatives et le réseau du mode par défaut que nous trouvons toutes perturbées chez les rats SHR/NCrl. / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) is a neurodevelopment disorder affecting childs and adults presenting attention deficits, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Despite numerous neuroimaging studies on ADHD patients, the specific dysfunctions underlying the symptoms of ADHD remain unknown. To date, ADHD patients can be treated using psychostimulant drugs such as methylphenidate (MPH) and other promising compounds are currently in development (dymesilate-lisdexamfétamine (LDX) and guanfacine (GFC), that are psychostimulant and non psychostimulant medications, respectively). Even if the molecular targets of these medications are well defined, how these compounds will impact the brain activity to reverse ADHD symptoms is less known. The objectives of this work were to study (i) the pathophysiology of ADHD and (i) the effects of an acute or repeated administration of MPH, LDX or GFC using animal models and microPET imaging with 2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-d-glucose (18FDG). First, we used an animal model of ADHD, namely the SHR/NCrl and WKY/NCrl rats that both exhibit attention deficits, with impulsivity-hyperactivity only displayed by SHR/NCrl rats. MicroPET imaging using 18FDG on awake rats was performed to obtain brain metabolic profiles of these animals. Our hypothesis was that SHR/NCrl and WKY/NCrl would shared brain dysfunctions in several regions of interest involved in the attention deficits, while SHR/NCrl rats would also displayed specific abnormalities related to hyperactivity-impulsivity. Our results confirmed these hypothesis as both SHR/NCrl and WKY/NCrl showed metabolic alterations in fronto-striatal limbic regions and in areas of the default mode network. In addition, SHR/NCrl specifically exhibited functional modifications in fronto-striatal associative areas.Second, daily injections with MPH, LDX or GFC were performed on control rats from adolescence to adulthood (corresponding to a treatment from childhood to the end of adolescence in humans). The effects of such treatments were evaluated after the first and the last injections on freely moving rats using microPET imaging with 18FDG. Our results showed that each medication affects the activity of limbic brain regions. In addition, LDX has an interesting profile showing effects also on associative fronto-striatal areas and on thedefault mode network. To our knowledge, these are the first preclinical neuroimaging results highlighting the crucial role of limbic brain regions related to motivation and the default mode network in the pathophysiology of attention deficits in ADHD. These data also reinforce the hypothesis that ADHD medications act on the brain areas primarily involved in the pathophysiology of ADHD. Interestingly, we showed that GFC and MPH shared the same effects on the limbic brain regions suggesting that this non psychostimulant medication is of a great interest for the treatment of ADHD. While MPH and GFC act primarily on limbic circuits, LDX also altered the activity of the default mode network and associative fronto-striatal areas. This support the hypothesis that LDX could be an interesting education for treating ADHD acting on all the systems identified as dysfunctional in the animal models of ADHD.

Around the world Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is on the rise. Previous studies have shown the default mode network (DMN) sees changes with AD progression as the disease erodes away cortical areas. Aerobic exercise with significant increases to cardiorespiratory fitness could show neuro-protective changes to delay AD. This study will explore if functional connectivity changes in the DMN can be seen in a young adult sample by using group independent component analysis through FSL MELODIC. The young adult sample of 19 were selected from a larger study at the Brain Plasticity and Neuroimaging Laboratory at Boston University. The participants engaged in a twelve-week exercise intervention in either a strength training or aerobic training group. They also completed pre-intervention and post-intervention resting-state fMRI scans to evaluate change in functional connectivity in the default mode network. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using a modified Balke protocol with pre-intervention and post-intervention VO2 max percentiles being used. Through two repeated-measure ANOVA analyses, this study found no significant increase in mean functional connectivity or cardiorespiratory fitness in the young adult sample. While improvements in mean VO2 max percentile and functional connectivity would have been seen with a larger sample size, this study adds to the literature by suggesting if fitness does not improve significantly, neither will functional connectivity in the default mode network.